The Duke And I

About the book

Simon Basset, the irresistible Duke of Hastings, has hatched a plan to keep himself free from the town′s marriage-minded society mothers. He pretends to be engaged to the lovely Daphne Bridgerton. After all, it isn′t as if the brooding rogue has any real plans to marry - though there is something about the alluring Miss Bridgerton that sets Simon′s heart beating a bit faster. And as for Daphne, surely the clever debutante will attract some very worthy suitors now that it seems a duke has declared her desirable. But as Daphne waltzes across ballroom after ballroom with Simon, she soon forgets that their courtship is a complete sham. And now she has to do the impossible and keep herself from losing her heart and soul completely to the handsome hell-raiser who has sworn off marriage forever!

Reviews for The Duke And I

Aww, this was such a cute book. I read it in one day - couldn’t put it down because I was having SO MUCH FUN with the Bridgertons (I don’t think I even ate properly during those 24 hours xD). Albeit the last part made me roll my eyes a couple of times, but pregnancy and baby drama usually makes that part of my anatomy behave in such manner - and there’s nothing I can do about it.This was my first Julia Quinn novel and I was very impressed by her writing. I can’t explain exactly why, but I found her style a bit different from every other historical romance I've read until date - which was a good thing.I loved the heroine Daphne, her vividness, her innocence, her caring manner, her teasing, and the way she snaps at her brothers when she has to. But seriously, I had a blast with every character, no exception, for they are all hilarious. The Bridgerton family is portrayed in such a funny, lovely way, that I often wished I was some distant cousin and could jump in there, so I could have fun with them. I can’t even decide if I was sorry for Daphne or not with the whole business of her brothers being jealous of her suitors (the main reason why the girl is still a spinster), because that situation makes way to so many great scenes, and of course, kept her free for Simon.So far, Anthony is my favorite brother, just because he would always make me laugh my head off with his “WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!” moments. The poor guy…backstabbed by his best friend who dared to break the Thou Shalt Not Lust After Thy Friend's Sister golden rule! *eheh* (Get a grip, Anthony.)As I’m sure I’ve made it clear, there’s more to this story than just the romance, since I barely mentioned it, but of course this book is first and foremost about Simon and Daphne, about how they'll get together despite his daddy issues, and her jealous brothers. And it was sooo nice to watch them interact. I couldn't get enough of it, especially when he's "fake"-courting her. So cute! I will admit the last part was a bit corny though. (Too many I love you-I love you too scenes! But hey.)No doubt I’ll be reading the next one in the series as soon as I can get my hands on it. Can’t wait to see how this complete nonsense of falling in love, getting married, having to deal with jealous (and dangerous - murderous really) family members, is going to find Anthony and bite him in his perfectly shaped arse.(I forgot to mention the scene when Daphne's mother explains her what happens on the wedding night. My God...I had to put the book down for a couple of minutes, and find a tissue to wipe the tears of laughter running down my face. Great comedy moment!)read more

After having problems with the previous book I wanted something light, funny and refreshing to relax myself. And this book delivered all that.

I loved Bridgertons and their sense of humor. I was missing craziness and chaos of big family since I finished The Hathaways series by Lisa Kleypas and this turned out to be nice replacement for them.I can't wait to read the next book in the series. :)read more

Synopsis:To protect himself from ambitious mothers, Simon Basset Duke of Hastings, makes a deal with his best friend’s sister – they will pretend to be engaged. For Daphne Bridgerton, the pretend betrothal turns out to be quite lucrative as she becomes the belle of the ball. The only problem is that Daphne begins falling for the devastating Duke who has made it clear that he has no intention of ever marrying.

Review:After hearing such marvelous things about this book and the series as a whole, I just had to see for myself and was not at all disappointed. The Duke and I is a wonderfully sweet and charming story with engaging characters and some of the funniest dialogue.

Julia Quinn’s writing style makes it impossible not to feel for her characters. Simon is a heart-wrenchingly tortured hero but unlike the physical torment that many characters of this type endure, Simon’s suffering is all emotional and as such even more compelling. It is amazing that he is still capable of love after the rejection that he bore as a child.

Daphne is a spunky heroine and the way in which she handles both Simon and her brothers is inspiring. She and Simon have great chemistry and their banter is excellent. Their relationship develops in a predictable way. However, there is one questionable scene that some readers may find offensive. I don’t want to give too much away but suffice it to say that Daphne can be seen as taking advantage of Simon. I won’t say that the scene didn’t bother me because it places Daphne in a rather negative light but taken within the context of the story it is understandable if not quite acceptable.

The introduction to the other Bridgerton siblings is mainly focused on Anthony and Colin. While both brothers are sympathetic and engaging, Anthony’s overprotectiveness and belligerence is often grating and excessive. Nevertheless, the Bridgerton family dynamic is one of the highlights of the story and I look forward to reading the rest of the series soon.read more

I don't remember enough from one romance to another to keep track of which characters I liked/disliked from which book. That might change with this one. This is certainly my favorite of hers. It's certainly my favorite romance from this year but it's different enough from J. Crusie that I can't say that it's my favorite overall. Certainly a good read for romance readers. I recommend it.read more